Colony (2026): Fantasia International Film Festival Review

The birth of a new humanity. 

If you thought it was impossible for Yeon Sang-ho to come up with another zombie story that differs from Train to Busan, you'd be wrong. Sang-ho's latest film, Colony, offers a fresh take on the zombies we've come to know over the years. But despite its two-hour runtime, it's the characters that keep you invested until the very end.

To be clear, this is no Train to Busan (a basically perfect film). But it still stands as a solid entry into the zombie subgenre. During a biotech conference, a young scientist determined to change the way people communicate and connect launches a terrorist attack. Seo Young-cheol (Koo Kyo-hwan) injects himself and the CEO who stole his research with a highly contagious virus, causing it to spread throughout the building where the conference is being held. Professor Kwon Se-jeong (Gianna Jun), along with a group of survivors that includes her ex-husband, a building security guard and his sister, a trio of teens, a police officer, and several others, must fight to survive until a rescue team can reach them. Something that they quickly realize won't be easy.

These zombies are evolving. They learn from their surroundings and share that information with each other. How? Well, Young-cheol's virus is designed to allow its hosts to communicate. They go from running on all fours to walking on two legs, from attacking video screens to recognizing when a human is nearby. As they continue to learn and evolve, the group must work together to outsmart both the zombies and their creator.

Yes, the zombies look amazing, but it's the characters who keep you invested. Sang-ho has always had a talent for crafting compelling characters. I understand the decision to include a much larger ensemble in a high-action film packed with kills, but I found that having so many characters actually hindered the storytelling. Still, that doesn't take away from the strong performances, especially Gianna Jun's as Professor Kwon.

There's a lot to enjoy here. The cinematography is exceptional throughout the film, there are a few John Wick-style choreographed fight sequences, and the way these zombies make their presence known on screen is genuinely terrifying. Colony is a reminder that Yeon Sang-ho understands what makes zombie stories work. Between its evolving infected, tense action sequences, and strong central performances, it delivers an exciting survival thriller that's well worth checking out, even if it never quite escapes the shadow of Train to Busan. It may not reinvent the genre, but it proves there's still plenty of life left in Sang-ho's zombie universe.

*Reviewed after viewing at Fantasia International Film Festival 2026.*